News and events

A better evaluation of what forests are worth will generate direct benefits for poor forest dwellers, open up new markets and affect global economic growth. The economic benefits of forests are massively under-valued by governments and donor agencies, according to IUCN’s latest report. … | French | Spanish

IUCN's Global Protected Areas Programme is sad to announce that more rangers have recently been killed in the line of duty. On 24 January 2011 a patrol of three rangers and five soldiers, protecting a road in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, were attacked and killed by the FDLR Rwandan militia, an illegal movement thought to include the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. …

Gill Shepherd, IUCN Livelihoods and Landscapes Strategy Thematic Adviser on Poverty and Landscapes, speaks on the latest thinking on forests and poverty, drawing from lessons that have come out of IUCN's innovative 'Livelihoods and Landscapes Strategy' (LLS). …

A UNESCO-IUCN monitoring mission to the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India’s only World Heritage Site on the Danger List, will evaluate the progress made so far to increase the population of key species, including tigers, Indian elephants and great one-horned rhino. …

A rescue plan for the five Democratic Republic of Congo sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger will be the focus of today’s high-level meeting organized by the Congolese authorities and UNESCO. … | French

The world’s forests are essential to life in all its diversity and to attaining humanity’s biggest goals such as reducing poverty, curbing climate change and achieving sustainable development. Throughout 2011 IUCN will work towards making sure that forests deliver their maximum potential for human well-being and biodiversity conservation. … | Spanish

IUCN welcomes the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly yesterday to establish a new international body designed to boost the global response to the loss of the world’s biodiversity and ecosystems. …

Governments need to put more attention and resources into making sure vulnerable people get their fair share of benefits from REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), according to IUCN. … | French | Spanish